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挟 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
挟jiāto seize; to hold to one's bosomv, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
挟jiāto clasp under the armunknown, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
挟jiāto coerceunknown, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
挟jiāold variant of 夾|夹[jia1]unknown, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
挟xiéto seize; to hold to one's bosomv, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
挟xiéto clasp under the armunknown, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
挟xiéto coerceunknown, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
挟xiéold variant of 夾|夹[jia1]unknown, 9 strokes, radical 扌, rank #52109, Very Hard
jiā(jia1)jia
primary
T1
  1. 1to seize; to hold to one's bosom
  2. 2to clasp under the arm
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March 24, 2026

挟(挾)jiā(jia1)

The character 挟 (jiā) means to seize or hold something closely, often under the arm, or to clasp to one's bosom. It can also imply coercion, where one party exerts pressure on another. This term may be used in both physical and metaphorical contexts, such as holding someone to their word.

Strokes9Radical扌Frequency#52109DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In historical contexts, 挟 can refer to situations where individuals or groups exert power over others, reflecting themes in Chinese literature and history about authority and control. This can often be seen in tales of political intrigue.

Memory tip

Imagine you are holding a precious book tightly under your arm (挟) to keep it safe. The action of holding it symbolizes the essence of the character, and the pronunciation 'jiā' sounds like 'jar', which can remind you of holding something important close to you.

Meanings of 挟

jiā(jia1)
primary
1to seize; to hold to one's bosom
2to clasp under the arm
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 挟

挟Simplified
挾Traditional
9Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 挟

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AI study notes for 挟

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 挟 (jiā) with 夹 (jiā), which means to insert or sandwich between. While both characters share similar pronunciations, they have different meanings and contexts. 使用时要注意语境,挟通常用于表示强迫或控制的情境。

HSK Study Tips

Although 挟 is not part of the official HSK levels, it's related to other words about holding and seizing like 抓 (zhuā) and 拿 (ná). Focus on the context of coercion and physical holding to enhance your understanding and usage of this term.

Common Mistakes

Students often use 挟 incorrectly in informal contexts, mistakenly thinking it means simply to take or hold. For instance, saying '我挟这个书' should be corrected to '我拿这个书' (I take this book).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 挟

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Etymology of 挟

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

Wedged 夹 in one's arms 扌; 夹 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 挟?

Decomposition of 挟

IDS Structure⿰扌夹
挟Full character
=
扌shou3
left
夹jia1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 挟?

How to say to seize; to hold to one's bosom in Chinese

“to seize; to hold to one's bosom” in Chinese is挟jiā

The character 挟 (jiā) means to seize or hold something closely, often under the arm, or to clasp to one's bosom. It can also imply coercion, where one party exerts pressure on another. This term may be used in both physical and metaphorical contexts, such as holding someone to their word.

When to use 挟

Be careful not to confuse 挟 (jiā) with 夹 (jiā), which means to insert or sandwich between. While both characters share similar pronunciations, they have different meanings and contexts. 使用时要注意语境,挟通常用于表示强迫或控制的情境。

What learners get wrong

Students often use 挟 incorrectly in informal contexts, mistakenly thinking it means simply to take or hold. For instance, saying '我挟这个书' should be corrected to '我拿这个书' (I take this book).

Write 挟

挟

Practice writing 挟 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 挟

挟 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 3

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

劳丽是否知道点什么,并以此要____费莉西蒂呢?

Did Laurie know something, and hold it over Felicity?

Example sentences for 挟 (3)

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1
劳丽是否知道点什么,并以此要挟费莉西蒂呢?

láo lí shìfǒu zhīdào diǎn shénme, bìng yǐ cǐ yào jiā fèi lì xī dì ne?

Did Laurie know something, and hold it over Felicity?
2
手持棒球棒的囚犯们挟持了人质,使警察无法靠近。

shǒu chí bàngqiú bàng de qiúfàn men xiéchí le rénzhì, shǐ jǐngchá wúfǎ kàojìn。

Prisoners armed with baseball bats used the hostages to hold police at bay.
3
他拄着拐杖, 走得慢慢地, 挟着一本很大的剪贴簿.

tā zhǔ zhe guǎizhàng, zǒu de mànmàn dì, jiā zhe yī běn hěn dà de jiǎn tiē bù.

He came slowly, on crutches, clutching a big scrapbook.

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Word Family of 挟

Words containing this character6
挟持xiéchíto seize挾持
要挟to threaten要挾
挟jiāto coerce挾
挟制forced submission挾製
挟带to carry along挾帶
挟天子以令诸侯(expr.) hold the feudal overlord and you control his vassals挾天子以令諸侯
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 挟

What does 挟持 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 挟

While both are pronounced the same, 挟 focuses on seizing or coercing, whereas 夹 refers to placing something in between.

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